Every year, approximately 60 billion dollars worth of flights are missed up due to delays. Of those delays, the majority are caused not by air traffic control or heavy traffic in the skies, but by some glitch or inefficiency on the ground. When you travel to visit family or for business, you face enough uncertainty without worrying about finding a safe, affordable, and on-time airport shuttle. But with so many options available, how can you be sure you're picking the best way to get to the gate on time?
Airports and their transfer options can be broadly categorised into three levels of reliability, based on factors that are outside of your control. taxis are generally the least reliable mode of transport. They may or may not be available when you need them, and even if they are, there is little guarantee that they will arrive on time. Many taxi drivers don't know the fastest routes or the traffic hotspots, which can make for a slow, stressful and potentially expensive journey. Public transport is slightly more reliable, with services running on a schedule. However, during the peak travel seasons, this type of transport can become severely overcrowded, leading to constant delays.
For the most reliable airport transfer, choose to book your transfer with a private airport taxi service. By pre-booking your private airport transfer, you can avoid long waits for taxis at the airport, and arrive at your destination in style in the car of your choice. Our fully licensed drivers will meet and greet you on arrival, clearly holding a card with your name, and will be aware of any flight delays. Compare prices on our most popular routes.
Unlike traditional taxi services Amico has numerous innovations that remove failure points and risks from your journey. For example, at busy times such as the crowded afternoon of a summer bank holiday period you can be sure that you will not have to wait more than 30 minutes for either a pick up or drop off at airports such as Heathrow. Similarly at JFK and other US airports drivers can meet you coming off a flight.
For many markets, the driver turnover rate is over 90% per year. Therefore, most passengers will ride with a different driver on a specific route on a regular basis. As a result, passengers should know the route ahead of time, particularly in case of a fare dispute. Although investigations into meter tampering are down over the last five years, this is still a possibility, and especially so during peak tourist season. It is also good for passengers to be aware that during times of high demand, the base rate of a ride may surge, tripling the fare without prior warning.
Flying to the airport on public transport is cheaper than most car services but no guarantee. The RER B to Charles de Gaulle runs to schedule, travelling every 5 minutes during peak hours and up to every 10-15 minutes at other times, but it is not uncommon for signal failures, strikes or break downs to occur twice a week on any major transit system. Additionally, carrying large amounts of baggage on crowded metro trains and trains is a difficult task.
Cycles are generally very difficult to carry on peak hour services due to a lack of space. On off-peak services, whilst there may be a lack of space, there is more concern for security as services are less frequently and trains less attended by staff.
Flight information for major European airports has been collated highlighting the on time pick up statistics for private car transfer services, taxis and public transport. On average for departures private car transfer services are 96% on time, compared to taxis at 78% on time and public transport averaging 71% on time. Clearly the ability to control certain variables such as traffic, difficult to park locations and the critical meet and greet with guests is fundamental to delivering a premium guests experience.
Our Fleet Management Solution tracks the location of vehicles in real-time; whether they are moving or simply parked. This allows for disaster to be prevented before it occurs. Real-time, actionable information is sent to the dispatcher based on traffic conditions or current flight delays. In addition, professional drivers and dispatchers receive training on route optimization, and utilize GPS enabled navigation systems with real-time traffic data to make the best decisions regarding route optimization prior to departing the terminal.
In addition to the car CDG airport transfers offered above, we are also able to provide car transfers to destinations that are not covered by the public transport services. These are priced around 40-60% more than a taxi and offer an alternative guaranteed private car CDG to Paris transfer service for the business traveller or for those who are short of time. These transfers are all planned in advance by our suppliers along with alternative routes to ensure that any traffic congestion does not affect your transfer.
A good Private Transfer company will have a number of characteristics in common. The bad guys tend to be unlicensed with drivers carrying no commercial insurance in vehicles that have broken down recently. There is much risk to the passenger with such unlicensed operations.
In addition to the screening criteria listed above, many companies perform background checks on their drivers and verify their CDLs/MC/Hazmat with the relevant governing agencies. Also, you will find that companies that operate efficiently may utilize technology to mange their drivers, meaning you can receive real-time booking confirmations, view the latest location of the driver via GPS and speak with a company representative 24/7 via mobile app. In addition, more established transportation providers may have multiple terminals throughout the country and may have a larger employee base.
Different requirements will apply depending on the purpose for which reliability is required and the level of flexibility in the schedule. For the busy business traveler with a tight connection, a private car service is often the best solution guaranteeing pick up time and the shortest possible route to destination. However, weather conditions can affect availability and readiness to operate in different ways at different times of the year.
We have found that private transfers do not allow bad weather to affect their operation, whereas public transfers can cause a chain reaction of delays. Due to shortages of taxis in high season, private transfer operators can pre-book cars ahead of time for guests, meaning that if you have a important journey then choose a transfer method that suits you.
